The “Garden State” is officially New Jersey’s slogan, because suprisingly it was not always.
Gov. Christie signed a piece of legislation which made the state slogan official on Monday.
The bill was introduced in February of last year and sponsored by Shirley K. Turner of District 15.
The signed bill takes effect immediately.
Even though the slogan just became official earlier this week, the statement was first linked to New Jersey almost 150 years ago, according to the bill.
Abraham Browning of Camden, who owned the Cherry Hill Farm, first called New Jersey the Garden State in 1876. The nickname stuck.
A law passed in 1954, over 75 years later, required the then unofficial slogan to be printed on New Jersey licence plates. In addition to license plates, the slogan can be seen on some of the state's infrastructure like the Garden State Parkway, according to the bill.
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Agriculture is the third largest industry in New Jersey according to the bill, which makes the slogan a fitting one.
